The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-07
Political and Personal.

Political and Personal
w. E. Curtis. in Chicago News.
I want to pay tribute to the late Vice.
president Wheeler OF all the men who have
been in public life during the last fifteen years
since have known about Washington affairs,
Mr.. Wheeler came the nearest to faultlessness.
The only thing his enomies, il he lad any. could
charge him with was mis- retiring disposition and
his lack of ambition. weaknesses not common to
men of his generation and walks of life. He
used to say-and he told the t1uth-that he had
never in his life asked any man to vote for him
to support him for any position whatever All
the Offices he hsid, and they were many. from
Mayer Of his native town to Vice-presdent Of
the United States. were actually thrust upon
him, and at the end Of each term he would de-
clare that he would never accept public respon-
sibility again He was man Of very strong
religious convictions a strict Sabbatarian. an
elder in the Presbyterian Church; but he never
thrust his religion into prominence During the
entire time he was In Washington, covering
period of about sixteen years, do not think he
ever missed prayer-meetng at the church he
attended. but nobody knew it except those whs
had the privilege of witnessing his inner life.
He was man of much greater ability than
the world gave him credit for, but had a horror
OF notoriety. He has often said to mo, as he has
said to others Of my profession: ''If you will
promise to keep my name out of the newspapers
I will tell you all the news know" When ha
went anywhere be avoided registering his name
at the hotels, and when he suspected that it was
the intention to make him conspicuous. he would
shrink away. When he WAS nominated for Vice.
president was applied to by publisher for ma.
terial for a biography. I went to him and he
said:
s'Tell them that William A. Wheeler was born
in 1920; that he has tried to do his duty wher-
ever he has been placed, but he thinks the Re.
publican party was pretty hard UP for material
when they nominated him for Vice-president"
That was all that could be got out OF him. and
the publisher had to send to Malone to get the
facts about his career. Whenever he had any
thing to do he did it better than most men could
have done it He was tho best presiding officer
the Senate ever had. There was a terrible scene
once between two Senators during night session.
Mr.. Wheeler was not In the chair. He reached
it, however, shortly after, and as the discussion
arose again he raped on the desk with the gavel
and in quiet but firm tone said
'sThe Senator will take his seat" The man
who using the hard words looked up with
surprise.
'.The Senator will take his seat" repeated
Wheeler. Still the offender stood, looking as il
he did not know what was the trouble. Then
the gavel came down with another thump,
andin a voice that penetrated every crack of th4
chamber Mr.. Wheeler repeated: THE Chaif
commands the Senator to take his seat' and ths
Senator sat down. Then, in his usual tone Of
voice, he remarked
sAs long az the present occupant is in the
chair there win be order in the Senate. The
Senator may proceed If he will proceed in order.
If he will not do the Chair will not permit
him to retain the floor. The Senator may pro-
ceed"
ntor who was thus attacked was considered ths
biggest man in the body, man of whom it waS
said that Wheeler was afraid, but he nevef
mounted his high horse again when the Vice
president was in the chair.
When the salary grab bill was passed Mr..
Wheeler voted against it, but he drew his money,
went to the Treasury, bought United States
bonds. and cancelled them in the presence oi
Treasurer Spinner. Thus the money was re<
stored to the treasury without any record OF the
manner in which it was done, and no one knew
of it till Wheeler was nominated for Vice-presis
dent when Mr.. Spinner told the story in an in-
terview. Mr.. Wheeler had great reputation
as q political prophet. He used to be considered
better than afortune-teller in forecastng events,
and the accuracy of his predictions was remark
able. He foretod the panic of 1873 with such
definiteness that his friends wondered over IL aa
event after event occurred exactly as he foretod-
He also proph esied the nomination of both Hayea
and Tilden IN 1876 Several weeks before the
conveption met at Cincinnati he met Blaine in
the House of Representatives and said:
Brother Blaine, don't set your heart upon the
presidential nomination. The next candidate OF
the Republican party for President is now Gov
ernor of Ohio"
Mr. Conklines friends accused Mr. Wheeler
of disoyaltv for making that remark, but while
he was too independent in his disposition to be
follower of CO nkling, he admired him more than
most men. Senator Farwell was Of MIR.
Wheeler's most intimate friends. and IL was
largely due TO him that the nomination for Vice
president went where it did in 1876. Zack Chand-
ler was another Mr. Wheeler used to say that
Chandler came nearer resem bling Crom mwell than
any other character in history.
One day after his nomination as Vice presi
dent Mr.. Wheeler expressing his regret that
some one else had not been chosen. He said that
he would much prefer to go back to Malone and
run the bank of which he was president than
preside over the Senate.
.Tt is a useless office he remarked. 4simply
for the purpose of furnishing fifth wheel for
the government, they do for stage coaches up
in my country. There every stage coach has
extra wheel strapped under the floor for in
case of a breakdown. The Vice-president is such
a useless factor in the government that they
don't even pray for him in the churches. They
pray for the President and all others in author.
ity,' but the Vice president has no authority. ex
cept the keeper of the Senate restaurant
and has nothing to do but wait for dead raen's
shoes. like the younger sons on an entailed es-
tate
Tho political troubles in Louisiana in 1874 were
settled by what is known in history rs the
Wheeler compromise. At the request OF Genera